In network environments, which may also be referred to as network environment, in particular in mobile radio communication environments, in particular cellular mobile communication environments, it is common practice to send short messages as text messages, so called SMS. For this purpose, a short message is generated by a sender and is sent to a recipient. For transmitting the short message, the sender has to provide an address as a unique identification of the recipient. This address is normally the mobile number of the recipient. The transmission of the short message is then carried out in such a way, that besides the short message and the address of the recipient, also the identity of the sender, most often in the form of the mobile number of the mobile phone of the sender, is first sent to a central station, for example a central distribution point. The central station then transmits the short message to the recipient.
For transmission of short messages it is for example known, that after sending of a short message an answer in form of a short message may be generated by the recipient. With this answer message the receipt of the short message may be confirmed. The answer message is generated and transmitted by the recipient. One disadvantage of this kind of communication is that the short message itself and the respective answer message are present in separate communications or dialogue sessions between the participating components of the network. In particular, the first short message from the sender to the recipient is transmitted in a mobile terminated session and the respective answer message is transmitted in separate mobile originating session.
Furthermore it is known, that the only way of initiating the establishment of a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) communication from the network side is to send an SMS as a trigger to the device to establish a GPRS session. One disadvantage of this kind of communication is, that also therein separate communications or dialogue sessions for the transmission of the short message and the respective answer message are necessary. In addition, the usage of GPRS involves higher demands on radio coverage and the provided coverage is thus lower.
Finally, it is also known that a service centre such as a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC) offers a delivery report after a dialogue session. Also in this case, the delivery report is thus transmitted in a separate dialogue session.
Even though the sender may receive feedback on the successful transmission of a short message by means of such answer messages or delivery reports, it is, hence, disadvantageous, that the feedback, in particular the confirmation that a short message has been delivered, in general is carried out via different communication channels and in addition is carried out in a time shifted manner and thus not in real time.
In addition to transmission of short messages between mobile devices of users, in particular people, also the transmission of short messages between technological components, for example external devices, is also known. Such communication is also referred to as machine-to-machine-communication or M2M-communication.
Machine-to-machine-communication in particular denotes the information exchange between technical components, such as machines, automatic units, vehicles, containers or a central control centre. Use cases may be, for example, the remote monitoring, the remote check, the remote control and remote maintenance of machines, appliances and systems.
Such remote control may, for example, be carried out by means of short messages. For such remote control, a short message may, for example, be sent from a central station, which is also referred to as control centre, to a machine. The short message may, for example, contain a command or order for the machine. When the short message has been sent from the central station to the machine, the central station may obtain feedback, that the short message has been delivered, according to the above mentioned answer or delivery report systems. As the machine in general is not capable of communicating via short messages, only the delivery of the short message to a communication unit which is connected to the machine can be confirmed. After sending the short message, which for example includes the command for the machine, the central station, however, does not obtain any feedback on whether the command has actually reached the machine and whether the command has been carried out or observed by the machine or any other information on the impact of the short message.
With the options known from the state of the art, it is thus disadvantageous, that the sender does not receive conclusive and immediate feedback, whether information, for example a command, which has been transmitted to an external device by using a short message, has actually reached the external device and whether the command has been performed by the external device. Thus an unknown status is generated, which can for example be referred to as “command sent, but not confirmed”.
The present invention is based on the problem of providing a method, a communication module, a message service server as well as a system, which allow for providing information, whether and to which extent requests, which have been transmitted by means of short messages to a component of the system, in particular to an external device, for example a machine, or to a central handling unit have reached the external device or central handling unit, respectively, and have been performed and carried out. In addition the provision of the information should be simple to implement and the information should be provided promptly, preferably in a real-time manner and most importantly avoiding an ambiguous state of command execution.